Follow the steps below to create the required certificate file and to learn how set up your Android app, test it, and submit it to Google Play. You can create an .apk app that you can submit to the Google Play Store.

Create a certificate file

Android systems require that all installed applications are digitally signed with a p12 certificate in which the private key is held by the application’s developer. Make sure that all applications are signed. The system can't install an application that is not signed. You can use self-signed certificates to sign your applications. No certificate authority is needed.

It's necessary that the certificate you create expires after October 22 2033.

Several methods for creating certificates are available, including Adobe Flash Professional and Adobe Flash Builder. If you don’t have any developer tools installed, you can use the Keytool utility to create a certificate. Keytool is a Java SDK utility that is already available on Mac OS computers. In Windows, it's necessary to install and configure Java SDK (also called JDK).

The following instructions tell you how to use Keytool to create a certificate. For detailed information, see Signing Your Application on the Android Developers site.

(Mac OS) Create a certificate file using Keytool

Open Terminal, which is located in the Applications > Utilities folder.

Copy and paste the following line (replace “myname.key.p12” and "alias_name" with your information):

(Windows) Create a certificate file using Keytool

(Optional) Set a permanent path to run Java SDK commands. Setting a permanent path lets you type JDK commands such as “keytool” from any path. That way, you don’t have to navigate to the Java SDK directory. To set a permanent path, see step 4 of the JDK site.

Open a command prompt. For example, enter “command” in the Run field or the search field.

If you did not set a permanent path in step 2, navigate to the directory where JDK commands are located. For example, type cd \ and then type cd program files\Java\jdk1.6.0_24\bin (specify the correct version number).

Type (or paste) the following line (replace “myname.key.p12” and "alias_name" with your information):

Note the "License Key" information. Adobe needs this information (also referred to as "shared secret") to enable in-app billing, as described in the next step.

In the Google Play Developer site, navigate to the "Services & APIs" section of the app. Copy the long string of characters under "Your License Key for This Application." In the On-Demand Portal, navigate to the Store section of project settings, and paste the license key value into the "Google Play Shared Secret" field.

Load the .apk file onto your Android device

Your Android tablet or phone requires Android 4.4 or later.

Allow your device to install non-Market applications. For example, on a Samsung Galaxy, go to Settings > Applications and select Unknown sources. When you finish installing, you can deselect this option again.

Attach your device to your computer. If necessary, mount the device so that you can open the folder to view the files. If you cannot view the device on your computer, see Android File Transfer.

Open a file manager app (such as Dropbox), and install your .apk file.